Ever wonder if the benefits of installing solar panels will outweigh the costs? Curious as to how much solar exposure those panels would even get on your roof? Google’s latest sun map, Project Sunroof, looks to answer those exact questions for solar proponents. The endeavor comes as a part of Google’s commitment to renewable energy. It’s been very public with its plans to be entirely carbon neutral from here on
A new solar energy efficient electricity generation system that developers claim is the most efficient in the world, is being tested in South Africa’s Kalahari desert. The project combines military technology with an idea developed by a 19th-century Scottish engineer and clergyman. The Swedish company behind it says they are on the verge of building its first commercial installation. In the remote Northern Cape province, huge mirrors reflect the sun
Dubai — the UAE’s second-largest emirate — plans to invest about $100 million to install 50 megawatts of new solar capacity ahead of World Expo 2020, according to consultancy Access Advisory. Managing director Stéphane Bontemps said the buildout is aimed at meeting Dubai’s goal to supply half of the Expo’s additional power needs from renewable sources. Chosen on Nov. 27 as the first Middle Eastern city to host the
Smartphones may feel glued to our hands, but the next leap in convenience could be power that moves with us—built right into what we wear. Think jacket fibers that harvest sunlight or a watchband that tops up on a stroll. Researchers outline a new approach to flexible, fabric-integrated rechargeable batteries in a paper in the ACS journal Nano Letters, pointing to a future where wearables spend less time tied
Researchers in Germany have developed bio-based photovoltaic solar cells by embedding the two proteins from plants responsible for photosynthesis into complex molecules developed in-house. The proteins used are photosystem 1 and 2. This procedure created an efficient electron current. In leaves, photosystems 1 and 2 utilize light energy very efficiently. Converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and biomass requires this high level of efficiency. However, the bio-based solar cell developed by
According to the International Energy Agency, China is the number one country for renewable energy production. Their current course of renewable energy expansion is projected to surpass the European Union, the United States, and Japan combined. The IEA released its annual World Energy Outlook on Tuesday. The report predicted that China will account for nearly half of the increased global power generation by 2035. Meeting this
For many years scientists and engineers have been trying to provide low-cost solar energy by developing a cheap solar cell that is both highly efficient and at the same time simple to build, enabling it to be mass produced. Now, the team led by Empa researcher Ayodhya N. Tiwari has made a major leap forward: the researchers are presenting a new manufacturing technique for CIGS solar cells, in which tiny
Wednesday brought significant change to the residents of a remote Norwegian village of Rjukan as the ingenious solar mirror system designed to bring natural light to their mountain valley was unveiled. The valley is plagued with darkness for six months every year. They hope that these three giant mirrors will change that. Hundreds of villagers attended the unveiling, proudly sporting sunglasses as they sought to catch the first rays
Producing hot water using solar panels is standard practice. However, researchers from Madrid Universities Carlos III and Politecnica hypothesize that solar panels may be capable of providing large offices with both heat and air conditioning. The researchers intend to incorporate solar collectors into a gas-based cogeneration system with an absorption machine. This method will reduce energy expenditure and CO2 emissions if the project succeeds. This idea isn't wholly new.
Harvard Business School’s new executive education building, Tata Hall, now hosts an 80-kilowatt rooftop solar array. Massachusetts-based Solect Energy Development, LLC designed and installed the system, which uses ET Solar AC modules paired with SolarBridge microinverters. The project advances Harvard University’s sustainability pledge to cut campus greenhouse-gas emissions by 30% from 2006 levels by 2016, while accounting for continued growth. Read More in Solardaily.com
